The Puerto Rico Senate approved a request for information from Senator Juan Oscar Morales seeking key documents from the Department of the Family (Familia) related to efforts to bring the Star Academy project to the island. The project is described as the supposed center of the controversy that ended with the departure of Blanca Medina as head of the Administration for Socioeconomic Development of the Family (ADSEF).
Familia has five working days to comply. The agency’s stance is unknown, as the Department of Justice has announced it will handle the referral from Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz. Morales is seeking information on Strategic Technology Advisors (STA) and Star Academy.
STA involves a $300,000 contract for technology and training services that Medina considered unnecessary. Star Academy is an educational program that, according to Medina, already exists in the Department of Education, managed by NOLA Education LLC; the former official said TANF funds could not be used for those purposes. Family Secretary Suzanne Roig has said the contract "did not exist" (reportedly it reached only the draft phase) and that Medina was fired for poor performance.
Medina has said Roig "harassed" her to sign the contract. This is the Senate’s third distinct approach to the controversy, joining an announced legislative investigation and the Rivera Schatz referral to Justice.